The present invention relates to a video transmission technique through a network, and especially to a technique for monitoring alarm information due to an image on monitor equipment or a sensor by means of a monitor of such as a remote computer.
A surveillance system in the prior art comprises a monitor camera, a monitor video equipment such as a switcher, an image display monitor, and a coaxial cable for connecting the various equipment described above for transmitting video and control information, wherein the person in charge of monitor is required to constantly watch the monitor installed at a predetermined place such as a security room. Also, a dedicated line in a system separate from the video coaxial cable for image is used for transmission of the alarm information.
Also, in the conventional image transmission apparatus of network type, the image transmission or the monitor equipment control through a network connected to a personal computer (PC) is realized by mounting a dedicated software on the personal computer.
Further, in the case where the conventional image transmission apparatus of network type is connected to a PC for setting the operating environment, the availability of only one connector with the PC makes it necessary to remove the apparatus from a rack for setting the operating environment of the apparatus or updating the program by connecting directly to the PC after installing the apparatus on the rack.
Also, in the conventional image transmission apparatus of network type, various control commands are received and processed one by one and a response is sent from and to a display terminal through a network accompanied by a considerable delay.
The conventional network image transmission apparatus, however, has the following problems.
As the first problem, the network distribution of an image from security equipment such as a camera or a switcher, the log recording of alarm generation information from a sensor or the security equipment, and the distribution of the alarm information are realized by different devices, so that it is difficult to relate the image and the alarm generation information to each other.
As the second problem, the provision of means for coding and storing the image corresponding to each of image input channels from a camera or a video output device connected to a network surveillance unit increases the number of component parts resulting in a high cost.
As the third problem, the display capabilities and the display formats varied from one terminal to another are required to be handled efficiently in order to meet the requirement of the various types of display terminals including the personal computer (PC), the portable terminals such as the portable telephone and the PDA and the computerized home appliances such as TV.
As the fourth problem, images of a plurality of channels using image coding means and storage means of one system, each of which can process an image of only one channel at the same time, cannot be displayed on the same terminal merely by switching the image input channel.
As the fifth problem, only the latest image is stored in a conventional coded image storage system, so that it is difficult to acquire the alarm image before the alarm generation.
As the sixth problem, in the case where the second alarm is generated while the series of the first alarm images are stored, the first alarm image is required depending on applications or the second image is required depending on applications.
As the seventh problem, a special and dedicated software is required for acquiring and displaying a list of alarm information and an alarm image.
As the eighth problem, in the case where the video transmission ability is higher than the input image coding ability in terms of the frame rate of image, the dual transmission of the image of the same frame results in the wasteful generation of the video transmission band.
As the ninth problem, the provision of image coding means of a single system makes it impossible for the conventional network image transmission apparatus to transmit images of different channels to a plurality of display terminals in response to image acquisition requests through a plurality of different channels from the different display terminals.
As the tenth problem, in the case where a screen displayed on a display terminal is changed in accordance with the internal setting value of an apparatus, a conventional HTML file transmission method requires the production and accumulation in the transmission apparatus of network type, of HTML files in the number proportional to the number of patterns of the setting value.
As the 11th problem, in the case where a connector to a setting PC is arranged in the rear portion of a housing, the housing is required to be removed from a rack when connecting to the PC, while in the case where the connector to the PC is arranged on the front portion of the housing, the connecting cable suspended on the front surface of the rack stands in the way of mounting the apparatus connected fixedly with a device on the rack.
As the 12th problem, when controlling the monitor equipment having only simple control instructions in case of transmission delay in the network, a series of process from start to end of the operation requires a considerable time or the person operating the monitor equipment cannot perform the control operation with an intended accuracy in terms of the change amount.
In order to solve the aforementioned problems, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: an image input unit for being supplied with image information output from a video output device such as a camera or a switcher; a coded image storage unit for coding and accumulating the image information; an alarm management unit for detecting alarm generation from an alarm generating device and for storing alarm information; and a communication unit for receiving a request from a display terminal through a network and for transmitting the coded image accumulated in the coded image storage unit or the alarm information accumulated in the alarm management unit in response to the request.
The configuration mentioned above permits the display terminal to acquire the image and the alarm generation information from the monitor equipment through the network.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first aspect, an image input switching unit connected to a plurality of video output devices and capable of switching to an arbitrary channel.
The configuration mentioned above permits the image information and the alarm information of a plurality of channels within a monitor area to be displayed on the display terminal through the network.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first aspect, a terminal-wise display format conversion unit for shaping the image information and the alarm information into the display format for the browsing means (browser) on a personal computer (PC).
The configuration mentioned above permits a remote PC to acquire and display the image information and the alarm information within the monitor area through the network by the operation of the browser operating on the PC.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first or second aspect, a terminal-wise display format conversion unit for shaping the image information and the alarm information into a display format for WWW browsing means (browser) adapted to be built in TV and a portable terminal meeting internet requirement.
The configuration mentioned above permits the TV and the portable terminal meeting the requirement for a remote web to acquire and display the image information and the alarm information within the monitor area through the network by the operation of the browser operating on the terminal.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first aspect, a plurality of image input units; and a multi-screen image synthesis unit for synthesizing one image information from the image information from the plurality of image input units.
The configuration mentioned above permits the image information input from a plurality of channels to be acquired and displayed on a single display terminal at the same time.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first or second aspect, an alarm management unit for instructing the coded image storage unit to store the alarm image upon alarm generation; and an alarm image storage unit for storing the image stored in the coded image storage unit, as an alarm image in response to an instruction from the alarm management unit.
The configuration mentioned above permits the network surveillance unit to store the alarm images and log information within the monitor area upon the alarm and a remote display terminal to display the alarm images and log information on the particular display terminal through the network.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first or second aspect, an alarm management unit for instructing the coded image storage unit to store the alarm image upon alarm generation; and an alarm image storage unit for storing a plurality of the images stored in the coded image storage unit, as a series of alarm images upon and subsequent to the instruction from the alarm management unit.
The configuration mentioned above permits the network surveillance unit to store a series of the alarm images and log information within the monitor area after the alarm generation, and a remote display terminal to display the series of the alarm images and log information on the display terminal through the network.
According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the seventh aspect, an alarm number management and storage unit for storing at least any two of information including the number, storage time and frame rate of the alarm images stored in the alarm image storage unit; and a coded image storage unit for storing the alarm image in accordance with information of the alarm number management and storage unit upon alarm generation.
The configuration mentioned above permits the network surveillance unit to set and store the number of a series of image information arbitrarily within the monitor area after the alarm generation, and to display the series of the alarm images on the display terminal through the network.
According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration in which the coded image storage unit in the configuration according to the 6th or 7th aspect includes image storage means for always storing a plurality of images from the past to the latest one, and stores the past image at the time of alarm generation as an alarm image before the alarm generation.
The configuration mentioned above permits the network surveillance unit to store a series of alarm images and log information within the monitor area before and after the alarm generation, and a remote display terminal to display the series of the alarm images and log information on the display terminal through the network.
According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the ninth aspect, an alarm number management and storage unit for storing at least two of information including the number, storage time and frame rate of alarm images before alarm generation stored in the alarm image storage unit of the coded image storage unit; and a coded image storage unit for storing the alarm image in accordance with information of the alarm number management and storage unit upon the alarm generation.
The configuration mentioned above permits the network surveillance unit to set and store the number of a series of image information arbitrarily within the monitor area before and after the alarm generation, and the series of the alarm images to be displayed on the display terminal through the network.
According to the 11th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the 7th aspect, an alarm management unit for instructing the coded image unit to suspend the accumulation of a first alarm image and store a second alarm image upon the second alarm generation while the first alarm image is being stored.
The configuration mentioned above permits an appropriate image storage processing to be realized in accordance with the application involved upon the continuous alarm generation within a short time.
According to the 12th aspect of the invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the 7th aspect, an alarm management unit for instructing the coded image unit not to store a second image but to store only second alarm generation information in a case where a second alarm is generated while a first alarm image is being stored.
The configuration mentioned above permits an appropriate alarm image storage processing suiting the application involved in a case where the alarms are generated continuously within a short time.
According to the 13th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first, second or sixth aspect, a communication unit for receiving an alarm list request from the display terminal; an alarm HTML conversion unit for producing an alarm information list of HTML format based on the alarm information and the alarm images and log information of the alarm management unit; and an HTTP server for interpreting the alarm image list request and for transmitting the alarm list.
The configuration mentioned above permits the alarm information and the alarm images and log information held in the network surveillance unit to be displayed on the display terminal using a common WWW browser.
According to the 14th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the 13th aspect, an alarm HTML conversion unit for converting a specific character string in the HTML file into an alarm number and an alarm image number both of which are designated by the terminal.
The configuration mentioned above including the alarm HTML conversion unit permits the alarm image to be reproduced and operated easily by the WWW browser on the display terminal.
According to the 15th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the 14th aspect, an alarm HTML conversion unit for converting a specific character string in the HTML file into an image number immediately following an alarm image number designated by the terminal, an image number immediately preceding to the alarm image number, and a first image number, a last image number and an image number immediately after alarm generation which are designated by the terminal.
The configuration mentioned above including the alarm HTML conversion unit permits the alarm image to be reproduced and operated easily by the WWW browser on the display terminal.
According to the 16th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the sixth aspect, an alarm image reproduction control unit for controlling a reproduction of the alarm image by extracting an image to be transmitted out of a series of the alarm images accumulated in the alarm image storage unit in accordance with receiving intervals of a request for latest image transmitted from the display terminal.
The configuration mentioned above permits the network surveillance unit to realize the reproduction of the alarm image on the display terminal through the network.
According to the 17th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the sixth aspect, an alarm image reproduction control unit for controlling a special reproduction of the alarm image by extracting an image to be transmitted out of a series of the alarm images accumulated in the alarm image storage unit in accordance with a request command received by communication with the display terminal and receiving intervals of the request command.
The configuration mentioned above permits a special reproduction including a rapid feed, rewind, frame skip or slow reproduction of the alarm image on the display terminal.
According to the 18th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first, second or sixth aspect, an alarm management unit for instructing a communication unit to transmit the alarm information upon alarm generation; an alarm message production unit for producing an alarm message of a format in which alarm information conforms to the browsing means of the terminal; and the communication unit for transmitting the alarm message in accordance with a request of the alarm management unit.
The configuration mentioned above permits the network surveillance unit to transmit the alarm information to the PC through the internet upon alarm generation.
According to the 19th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first, second or sixth aspect, an alarm management unit for instructing a communication unit to transmit alarm information upon alarm generation; an alarm mail production unit for producing an internet mail including the alarm information; and the communication unit for transmitting the mail in accordance with a request of the alarm management unit.
The configuration mentioned above permits the network surveillance unit to transmit the alarm information through the internet to all the equipment communicable by the internet mail, including the PC, the portable telephone, the PDA and the pager upon the alarm generation.
According to the 20th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the eighth or tenth aspect, an apparatus environment information storage unit for storing a list of an image data occupancy rate due to a recording capacity of the alarm image storage unit and a size and quality of the image; and an alarm number management and storage unit for calculating a maximum number of storage of the alarm image storage unit in a current environment setting of the network surveillance unit based on information of the apparatus environment information storage unit to limit a storage number of the alarm images to a maximum storage number.
The configuration mentioned above permits the storage of the alarm image to maximize the use of the storage area in the network surveillance unit.
According to the 21st aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first or second aspect, an image input unit for adding an identifier varied from one frame to another at the time of image input; and an image identifier production unit for producing the identifier.
The configuration mentioned above makes it possible to identify the image information stored in the network surveillance unit, for each frame.
According to the 22nd aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the 21st aspect, a communication unit for transmitting a latest image stored in the coded image storage unit to the network in a case where the identifier of the latest image coded in the coded image at the time of image transmission is different from the identifier of the image at the preceding time of transmission, and storing the latest image different from the identifier of the preceding image in the coded image storage unit to transmit the particular latest image to the network in a case where the two identifiers are the same.
The configuration mentioned above makes it possible to reduce the image information amount transmitted to the network.
According to the 23rd aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the 21st aspect, a communication unit for transmitting a latest image stored in the coded image storage unit to the network in a case where the identifier of the latest image is different from the identifier of the preceding image transmitted, and transmitting to the network the information to the effect that the latest image is not existent in a case where the two identifiers are the same.
The configuration mentioned above can reduce the image information amount transmitted to the network and realize the processing corresponding to the update rate of the input image at the terminal.
According to the 24th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first aspect, a communication unit for receiving a control instruction for a camera or a video output device from the terminal through the network; a camera control unit for interpreting the control instruction received by the communication unit and converting it into a control instruction specific to the camera or the video output device; and a coaxial multiplexing unit for multiplexing the control instruction output of the camera control unit and the video input from the camera or the video output device to input/output them with the same coaxial cable.
The configuration mentioned above permits the camera or the video output device to be controlled simply with the video coaxial cable.
According to the 25th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the second aspect, a communication unit for receiving a control instruction for the camera or the video output device from the terminal through the network; a camera control unit for interpreting the control instruction received by the communication unit and converting it into a control instruction specific to the camera or the video output device; a coaxial multiplexing unit for multiplexing the control instruction output of the camera control unit and the video input from the camera or the video output device to input/output them with the same coaxial cable; and a coaxial input/output switching unit for switching the control instruction and the video input by switching the connection of the coaxial cable of a plurality of channels.
The configuration mentioned above can control the camera or the video output device simply by the video coaxial cable even in the case where the image input has a plurality of channels.
According to the 26th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the 25th aspect, an alarm management unit for instructing the coaxial input/output switching unit to switch the coaxial channel and the camera control unit to control the camera in accordance with the setting registered in advance upon alarm generation.
The configuration mentioned above permits the alarm to be controlled simply by the video coaxial cable in operatively interlocked relation with the camera or the video output unit upon the camera generation.
According to the 27th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first or second aspect, a coaxial multiplexing unit for multiplexing the video input from the camera or the video output device with the power supplied from the power supply in the network surveillance unit to the camera or the video output device to input/output the multiplexed power with the same coaxial cable.
The configuration mentioned above permits the power to be supplied from the network surveillance unit to the camera or the video output device simply by the video coaxial cable.
According to the 28th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first or second aspect, an alarm management unit for sending an instruction for external control to the external equipment control unit in accordance with the setting registered in advance upon alarm generation; and an external equipment control unit for converting the instruction for external control to an instruction specific to the external equipment to be controlled and for transmitting it to the external equipment.
The configuration mentioned above permits the external monitor equipment to be controlled by the network surveillance unit upon the alarm generation or by the operation from the display terminal through the network.
According to the 29th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first aspect, a coaxial multiplexing unit for demultiplexing the alarm input and the image input which are multiplexed and transmitted from the camera or the video output device through the coaxial cable, the video signal being sent to the image input unit, and the alarm signal being sent to the alarm management unit.
The configuration mentioned above permits the alarm to be received from the camera or the video output device simply by the video coaxial cable.
According to the 30th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the second aspect, a coaxial multiplexing unit for demultiplexing the alarm input and the image input which are multiplexed and transmitted from the camera or the video output device through the coaxial cable, the video signal being sent to the image input unit, and the alarm signal being sent to the alarm management unit; and a coaxial input/output switching unit for switching the alarm input and the video input by switching the connection of the coaxial cable of a plurality of channels.
The configuration mentioned above permits the alarm to be received from the camera or the video output device simply by the video coaxial cable even in the case where the video input has a plurality of channels.
According to the 31st aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the 29th or 30th aspect, a coaxial multiplexing unit for multiplexing or demultiplexing the alarm input and the image input multiplexed and transmitted from the camera or the video output device through the coaxial cable and the control signal to the camera or the video output device.
The configuration mentioned above permits the camera or the video output device to be controlled and the alarm to be received from the camera or the video output device simply by the video coaxial cable.
According to the 32nd aspect of the invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the 31st aspect, an alarm management unit for instructing the coaxial input/output switching unit to switch the coaxial channel and the camera control unit to control the camera in accordance with the setting registered in advance upon alarm generation from the camera or the video output device.
The configuration mentioned above can realize an operation interlocked with the alarm upon receipt of the alarm from the camera or the video output device simply by the video coaxial cable.
According to the 33rd aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the second aspect, a coded image storage unit including an image storage unit corresponding to each of a plurality of image input channels; a period interlocked switching unit for instructing the image input unit and the coded image storage unit to switch the channel periodically and sequentially for each input of one frame of image; and a communication unit for acquiring the image of the channel designated by the display terminal from the image storage unit of the designated channel in the coded image unit and transmitting it to the network.
With the configuration mentioned above, images temporally parallel for all the channels can be stored in the network surveillance unit by the image input units and the coding means fewer in number than the image input channels, and the real-time images of a plurality of channels can be acquired temporally in parallel from an arbitrary display terminal, thereby reducing the cost of the network surveillance unit.
According to the 34th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first or second aspect, an environment information storage unit for setting the operating environment of the network surveillance unit; an HTML file storage unit for storing the HTML environment information for constructing the screen on the display terminal; an environment information HTML conversion unit for converting a specific character string in the HTML file into the aforementioned setting of the operating environment; and an HTTP server unit for interpreting the HTML file request and for transmitting the HTML file after conversion.
The configuration mentioned above permits the display terminal to operate the network surveillance unit with the screen configuration corresponding to the setting of the network surveillance unit.
According to the 35th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first or second aspect, display lamps for displaying the connection, transmission condition, receiving condition with respect to the network and the operation mode on the front surface of the housing.
The configuration mentioned above permits the network surveillance unit to be connected to the network and facilitates the observation of the connection and the communication condition.
According to the 36th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first or second aspect, an interface with a PC on the front and back surfaces of the housing for setting the operating environment or updating the software in the surveillance unit.
The configuration mentioned above permits the operating environment of the network surveillance unit to be set and the software in the surveillance unit to be updated using the PC without the intermediary of the network.
According to the 37th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the 36th aspect, an interface with a PC on both the front and rear surfaces of the housing; and a switch for switching the operation between the interfaces on the front and rear surfaces of the housing.
The configuration mentioned above permits the operating environment of the network surveillance unit to be set and the software in the surveillance unit to be updated by the PC without removing the network surveillance unit from the rack or the like regardless of the place or method of installation of the surveillance unit.
According to the 38th aspect of the invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the first or second aspect, means included in the housing for inputting the image from the camera or the video output device; and loop-through output means for outputting the image directly.
The configuration mentioned above makes it possible to confirm the image input from the camera or the video output device by the conventional monitor.
According to the 39th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the 24th or 28th aspect, a camera control unit for transmitting a control instruction to the camera or the video output device; an HTTP server unit for decomposing a single composite operating instruction from the display terminal into a chain of basic control instructions for the camera control unit and sending it to the camera control unit; and a camera control unit for transmitting the basic control instructions sequentially to the camera or the video output device.
The configuration mentioned above permits the camera or the video output device having only basic control instructions to execute complicated control operations simply by the operation of a single button on the browser of the PC.
According to the 40th aspect of the present invention, there is provided a network surveillance unit having a configuration comprising: in addition to the configuration according to the 39th aspect, a camera control unit for transmitting control instructions to the camera or the video output device; an HTTP server unit for decomposing a single composite operating instruction from the display terminal into a chain of basic control instructions and instruction time intervals for the camera control unit and for sending it to the camera control unit; and the camera control unit for transmitting the basic control instructions sequentially to the camera or the video output device at appropriate time intervals.
The configuration mentioned above permits the camera or the video output device having only basic control instructions to execute complicated control operations simply by the operation of a single button on the browser of the PC, thereby improving the control accuracy even on the network accompanied by a delay.